Portuguese Validation of the Internet Gaming Disorder Scale–Short-Form

Abstract

In the latest (fifth) edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders(DSM-5), Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) was included as a tentative disorder worthy of future research. Since then, several psychometric instruments to assess IGD have emerged in the literature, including the 9-item Internet Gaming Disorder Scale-ShortForm (IGDS9-SF), the most brief tool available to date. Research on the effects of IGD in Portugal has been minimal and may be due the lack of psychometrically validated tool to assess this construct within this particular cultural background. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to develop and examine the psychometric properties the Portuguese IGDS9-SF. A total of 509 adolescents were recruited to the present study. Construct validity of the IGDS9-SF was assessed in two ways. Firstly, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was performed to investigate the factorial structure of the IGDS9-SF in the sample and the uni-dimensional structure of the IGDS9-SF fitted the data well. Secondly, nomological validation of the IGDS9-SF was carried out and the nomological network analyzed was replicated as expected, further supporting the construct validity of the IGDS9-SF. Criterion validity of the IGDS9-SF was also established using key criterion variables. Finally, the IGDS9-SF also showed satisfactory levels of reliability using several indicators of internal consistency. Based on the results found, the IGDS9-SF appears to be a valid and reliable instrument to assess IGD amongst Portuguese adolescents and further research on IGD in Portugal is warranted.

Validation of the Internet Gaming Disorder Scale – Short-Form (IGDS9-SF) in an Italian-speaking sample

“…The IGDS9-SF was developed to be utilized in large-scale surveys. The validity of both versions has been confirmed in the Spanish-, Portuguese-, and Slovenian-speaking samples (Fuster, Carbonell, Pontes, & Griffiths, 2016; Pontes & Griffiths, 2016; Pontes, Macur, & Griffiths, 2016). …”

“…All factor loadings were statistically significant and relatively high, demonstrating that all items were good construct indicators. These results generally corroborated prior validity studies (Fuster et al., 2016; Pontes & Griffiths, 2015, 2016; Pontes et al., 2016). However, the unexpected covariance between the residual errors for Items 6 and 7 was theoretically justifiable as the two items might be referred to the same criterion (i.e., conflict).…”

“…Higher scores indicate higher degree of gaming disorder. In the present study, the IGDS9-SF had excellent reliability with an internal consistency coefficient (Cronbach’s α) of .96, and is comparable with the coefficients reported in other studies (Fuster et al., 2016; Pontes & Griffiths, 2015, 2016). …”

Current practices in the clinical and psychometric assessment of internet gaming disorder in the era of the DSM-5: A mini review of existing assessment tools

“…Notwithstanding this, Table 1 makes it clear that researchers are indeed attempting to move the area forward and further beyond its 'unofficial' status since most of the newly developed assessment tools have consistently relied on the nine IGD criteria as the rationale for devising such instruments [9][10][11][12]. On the other hand, however, such studies are bound to provide potentially meaningful evidence in the near future either in favor or against the way in which IGD is defined and conceptualized by the APA, allowing new evidence-based criteria and models to emerge and fill in potential gaps [13][14][15].…”

DSM-5 diagnosis of Internet Gaming Disorder: Some ways forward in overcoming issues and concerns in the gaming studies field

“…We disagree with this point given that a relatively large number of empirical and clinical studies have investigated the feasibility of the criteria in samples of different age groups (e.g., Ko et al., 2014; Pontes et al., 2014). Notwithstanding the clear need for refining the diagnostic criteria, most studies support the idea that IGD is a clinical and sociological phenomenon affecting a minority of individuals across different age groups.…”